NEIL Collins, Newport Everest Group Wasps number one, could be out of action for at least a month after a fall in the the May Bank Holiday Premier Trophy defeat at Rye House on Monday.

Collins is recovering from a broken collarbone and rib damage. He was taken to a Harlow hospital after the heat five spill and at the conclusion of the meeting Wasps skipper Tony Atkin took him home to the north west of England before he went to a hospital in Warrington.

The Wasps will use rider replacement for Collins this weekend in the two Premier League meetings with Stoke.

The first is at Loomer Road on Saturday with the return at the Hayley Stadium on Sunday, a double header with the return league meeting followed by a Conference League clash between the two sides (tapes up 2.30pm).

Tim Stone, Newport promoter, said: "It is too soon to say how long he will be out. We have to use rider replacement, no other facility is available to us. We will examine the situation when we get more news on Neil.

"I am quite sure that with Craig (Watson), Wilko (Carl Wilkinson), Tony and Chris Schramm we can cover his rides."

Wasps have won their two opening league matches, both at home, and if they could complete a Stoke double, giving them a bonus point, it would be a big boost and help ease the pain of losing Collins.

- Newcastle captain James Grieves, fined and banned for the remainder of the Premier League clash with Wasps on Sunday, has been upset by references to his "boxing career."

The Scot, from Paisley, was in hot water after throwing a punch at Collins but he was upset that Stone had made reference to a boxing career.

Grieves said: "I deserved to be punished but I still have the right to be furious with Tim Stone for dragging a totally non-existent part of my sporting life into his comments."

Not totally true, because Grieves lists his other sports in a speedway reference book as boxing training.

- Wasps' Carl Wilkinson has been given an extended run in the Ipswich team, starting with tonight's top-of-the-table clash at Peterborough in the Elite League.

Wilkinson has been pencilled in for the next four Witches' matches, enabling Daniel King to concentrate on his Premier League racing for Mildenhall.

Ipswich boss Mike Smillie said: "We said we would use both riders this year and this gives Danny the chance to recharge his batteries."